Lab-Grown Diamond Melee to the EU, UK and Switzerland — Delivered Duty Paid, Nothing on Arrival
Short answer: Caratura ships laboratory-grown diamond melee and single stones to every EU country, the UK, Switzerland and Norway by tracked express, Delivered Duty Paid. VAT and any import charge are paid by us before the parcel reaches you, so there is nothing to pay on delivery — the price at checkout is the final price. Flat $20 shipping, free over $100 (so a single $149 bag ships free), no minimum beyond one bag, every price listed. Our European parcels so far have arrived in 6 to 9 business days.
What "Delivered Duty Paid" means for a European order
Most parcels from outside the EU arrive with a bill: the courier pays the VAT and duty at the border, then charges you that amount plus a handling fee before handing over the parcel. We don't ship that way. Every Caratura parcel is booked with duties and taxes billed to us, so the courier clears it and delivers it like a domestic parcel.
- EU (27 countries): VAT at your country's rate is prepaid. Since July 2026 the EU also charges a flat €3 customs duty on e-commerce parcels under €150; we pay that too. Above €150, laboratory-grown diamonds fall under customs heading 7104, which carries no import duty in the EU.
- United Kingdom: VAT prepaid by us; heading 7104 carries no UK import duty either. Nothing is collected on delivery.
- Switzerland and Norway: these two have no duty-prepaid channel. If the courier collects anything on delivery, send us the receipt and we refund it in full — no time limit. The price you paid is still the whole price.
Our European orders so far went to Switzerland (delivered in 6 business days) and France (9 business days), both by FedEx, tracked door to door.
Delivery times
| Destination | Typical delivery after dispatch | Courier |
|---|---|---|
| Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Austria, Ireland | about 7–10 business days | FedEx / DHL / UPS express, tracked |
| Nordics, Poland, Czechia, Portugal and the rest of the EU | about 8–12 business days | FedEx / DHL / UPS express, tracked |
| United Kingdom | about 7–10 business days | FedEx / DHL / UPS express, tracked |
| Switzerland, Norway | about 6–10 business days | FedEx express, tracked; any charge on delivery refunded |
Laboratory-grown diamond orders usually ship within 3 business days of payment; fancy-shape sizes are confirmed with a photo first. Your tracking number is emailed at dispatch, and our track-your-order page follows the parcel through both legs of the journey — the courier's own site shows "label created" until the parcel has cleared customs in your country, which is normal.
What we ship to Europe
| Line | Sizes | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round melee, Hearts & Arrows | 30 sizes, 0.7–3.6 mm in 0.1 mm steps, one size per bag, sorted to ±0.1 mm | $149–279 per 1-ct bag | View |
| Single round stones | 8 weight bands, 0.19–0.99 ct (≈3.7–6.5 mm) | $55–198 per stone | View |
| Fancy-shape melee, 12 cuts | Oval, pear, marquise, emerald, asscher, radiant, princess, cushion, baguette, trapezoid, heart, triangle — sizes confirmed on request | $249–399 per 1-ct bag | View |
| 1 ct and larger | Round and fancy, from current stock, report on request | Quoted per stone | Ask |
Every size is sold by its millimetre dimension, as Europe already works; carat weight per bag is the unit of sale, stone counts are estimates. The size chart gives stones per bag for every size and the price page the cost per carat and per stone.
Prices, currency and payment
Every price is listed on the product page in US dollars and there is no quote step and no negotiation. Checkout runs through PayPal, which takes Visa, Mastercard and other cards without a PayPal account; your bank converts to euros, pounds or francs at its own rate. Banks sometimes decline a first payment to an unfamiliar overseas merchant: approve the confirmation your bank sends, then pay again. If it still fails, message Leilei on WhatsApp for a PayPal payment link. Shipping is $20 flat and free over $100; VAT and duties are already paid, so the checkout total is what you pay.
Describing it in the EU and UK
Everything we ship is invoiced as laboratory-grown diamond, the term used by ISO 18323 and the CIBJO Diamond Blue Book, with the qualifier next to the word diamond and the parcel grade stated: DE colour, VS–VVS clarity. The customs declaration says the same. We recommend the same wording on your own invoices, appraisals and listings; EU and UK consumer law treats a laboratory-grown stone described as "diamond" alone as a misleading description, and the trade standard bars the word cultured. Wording that works, document by document →
For trade buyers
Caratura supplies loose, calibrated stones — components for setting, not finished jewellery — to jewellers, setters, workshops and bespoke studios. There is no minimum beyond one bag or one stone, so a first order can be a single 1-carat bag to check the calibration against your setting burs before a production run. Every parcel is hand-inspected and photographed or filmed before dispatch, each bag is one size sorted to ±0.1 mm, and a stone outside tolerance is replaced or refunded under the calibration and matching guarantee. Read how to verify an overseas gemstone supplier and run every check on us. Where you buy for a business, you are responsible for any resale or tax requirements in your own country.
For consumers in the EU and UK
If you order as a private individual, EU and UK consumer law applies on top of our own guarantee. You may cancel for any reason within 14 days of receiving the stones and get a full refund including the standard shipping charge (you pay the return postage; made-to-order stones are excluded), and you have the two-year legal guarantee of conformity. Our own promise is simpler still: any stone outside ±0.1 mm or not as described, reported within 14 days, is replaced free or refunded. Full details are in the refund policy.
Who you are buying from
Caratura is operated by Hatton & Co. LLC, a Colorado (USA) limited liability company. Stones are sorted, inspected and shipped from our facility in China. We don't hold stock in Europe and we don't claim a European heritage; the offer to European buyers is calibrated stock, listed prices, no minimum, and a parcel that arrives with nothing to pay. Questions before you order? Leilei answers on WhatsApp within one business day, or use the contact page.
Questions buyers ask
- Do I pay VAT or customs when lab-grown diamond melee arrives in the EU or UK?
- No. Caratura ships Delivered Duty Paid: VAT at your country's rate and any import charge are paid by us before the parcel reaches you. Laboratory-grown diamonds fall under customs heading 7104, which carries no import duty in the EU or the UK; the EU's €3 flat charge on small parcels is paid by us too. The courier delivers it like a domestic parcel.
- What about Switzerland and Norway?
- Neither has a duty-prepaid channel, so the courier may collect VAT or a handling charge on delivery. Send us the receipt and we refund it in full, with no time limit. The checkout price is still the whole price.
- How long does delivery to Europe take?
- About 7–10 business days after dispatch to most of Western Europe and the UK, 8–12 to the rest of the EU, by tracked express (FedEx, DHL or UPS). Our European parcels so far arrived in 6 to 9 business days. Laboratory-grown diamond orders usually ship within 3 business days of payment.
- Are the prices in euros or pounds?
- Prices are listed and charged in US dollars through PayPal, which accepts cards without a PayPal account; your bank converts at its rate. There are no hidden extras: shipping is a flat $20, free over $100, and VAT and duties are already paid.
- Can I return lab-grown diamond melee as a consumer in the EU or UK?
- Yes. If you buy as a consumer in the EU or UK you can cancel for any reason within 14 days of receiving the order and get a full refund including the standard shipping charge; you pay the return postage. Made-to-order stones are excluded, as the law allows. Trade buyers are covered by our 14-day replace-or-refund guarantee for any stone outside specification.
- Is Caratura a European company?
- No. Caratura is operated by Hatton & Co. LLC, a Colorado (USA) company, and stones are sorted, inspected and shipped from our facility in China. We don't claim a European pedigree; what we offer Europe is calibrated stock, listed prices, no minimum order and delivery with nothing to pay on arrival.
By Leilei, founder of Caratura — I source, inspect and pack every order myself. Every price is published on the product pages — no price list, no quote. Message me on WhatsApp with your spec for a stock check.